Why Does Bee Health Matter? The Science Surrounding Honey Bee Health Concerns and What We Can Do About It

Task Force Chair

Task Force Author(s)

Task Force Reviewers

Gerald Hayes

Ramesh Sagili

Dennis vanEngelsdorp

Task Force Board Liaison

Todd Peterson

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Pollinators are responsible for about 1/3 of our human diet by volume. Although honey bees are one of nearly 20,000 bee species, they support more than $19B in food and crop production in the United States each year. A serious decline in honey bee health has significant implications for agriculture. This paper provides a summary of the scientific issues, current research, and recommendations related to bee health, as well as opportunities for beekeepers, land managers, crop producers, homeowners, and policymakers to engage in helping understand and address the problems to ultimately restore healthy populations of honey bees and other pollinators. Chair: Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota. QTA2017-1, 16 pp., June 2017, AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY.